Aggie legend Anthony Calvillo to be inducted into CFL Hall of Fame

There’s more to being a “True Aggie” than macking on the block ‘A’ at midnight; nobody ought to graduate from Utah State’s storied campus without first learning the name Anthony Calvillo.

Put simply, Calvillo is the most accomplished USU athlete of the modern era. Yes, Wayne Estes’ legend borders on that of a folk hero, and certainly Merlin Olsen’s 14-straight NFL Pro Bowls still ring loud and clear through Aggie lore — after all, it’s hard to miss his 12-ft tall statue guarding Maverik Stadium’s south entrance. But Calvillo has excelled to a degree no Aggie athlete has in over four decades, dominating the Canadian Football League and retiring as the all-time leading passer not just in the CFL, but in all of professional football.

Calvillo played for three teams in his 20-year CFL career — the Las Vegas Posse, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the Montreal Alouettes — leading Montreal to three Grey Cup Championships in an eight-year span. The man was a ten-time Eastern All-Star, a five-time CFL All-Star and a six-time CFLPA All-Star. Calvillo was named the CFL East Division’s Most Outstanding Player seven times and the league’s Most Outstanding Player in each of his three title-winning seasons.

Perhaps most notably, Calvillo tallied 79,816 career passing yards, making him the most notorious passer in professional football’s century-long history. For reference, the NFL’s Peyton Manning topped out at 71,940, edging out Brett Favre’s 71,838. The active career yards leader in the NFL is Drew Brees, with 66,111. Calvillo threw for more than 45 miles of turf, or about the distance from Maverik stadium’s north end zone to North Ogden.

Calvillo’s formal induction ceremony will be held at the CFL’s Hall of Fame game on September 15th.